The scheduled appearance of court witness, Evangelist Brown James Mpinganjira to testify on conspiracy and attempted murder trial of former budget director Paul Mphwiyo will not be possible this week as court says, they are failing to trace the permanent residence of him in Mulanje where they can hand him court summon.
One of the Court reporters told Judge Michael Mtambo that they attempted in vain to locate home of the former Mulanje Central legislature there in Mulanje district.
Former Cabinet Minister also former Vice President of Peoples Party (PP) in the South, Mpinganjira is wanted by court following his naming as one of then cabinet ministers of Dr. Joyce Banda who warned Mphwiyo that some irate individuals who were forcing him to authorise dubious payments have numbered his days to ten if he continues to refuse to bow down to their demands.
Brown Mpinganjira matter also brought legal argument between Prosecution and Defense which took some minutes before Judge Michael Mtambo dismissed the conversation saying he was to make a ruling on the same.
Actually, the state were of the view that it was not proper for the defense to interfere with Court witness when third accused Raphael Kasambara told the court that he got a note from Brown Mpinganjira informing him that he has never received court summons.
But Kasambara maintained that there was never flouting of any legal procedure for receiving a note from the court witness.
The matter on Mpinganjira came just after man considered as "Chief" Cashgate convict, Oswald Lutepo had finished to testify as last witness of the first accused, McDonald Kumwembe.
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| Lutepo pictured with Dr. Joyce Banda |
Some of major highlights in Oswald Lutepo testimony were that former Deputy Inspector General of Malawi Police, Nelson Bophani forced him to change his statement recorded by police to one which could have implicated Raphael Kasambara as one who masterminded cashgate.
However, Lutepo denied that the former police IG had forced him to implicate Kasambara on issue of Paul Mphwiyo shooting.
Lutepo told first accused McDonal Kumwembe during cross-examination in chief that after his arrest he told police everything of his knowledge pertaining to cashgate.
But he said the deputy police IG, Bophani at one point arranged the meeting at Zomba Prison between him and the second accused Pika Manondo, so that the two should come up with framed claim that cashgate was masterminded by Kasambara but they both refused to do so.
He also denied that to the best of his knowledge and his involvement in cashgste, that he had transacted with Raphael Kasambara any business which was related to cashgate.
Asked about Paul Mphwiyo shooting, Lutepo told court that he was the person who had informed former President Dr. Joyce Banda of Paul Mphwiyo shooting just like he had done to the rest of Mphwiyo's friends.
He also explained that his best friend Paul Mphwiyo had in his house a desktop which was connected to the cctv camera's which were placed out side his house.
Now, second accused, Pika Manondo has entered his defense which will be continued this morning starting at 10 am.
